Till Death Do Us Part
by unfinishe
Summary: -- "I love you Teresa," he whispered simply. -- Someone's out to get Lisbon, but why won't she go to the CBI? Crossover with Numb3rs, Jisbon, MeganDon. T for stalking. Epilogue up, COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1: Of Tricks and Treats

'**Till Death Do Us Part**

**Summary: Someone's out to get Lisbon. So why won't so go to the CBI? Jisbon, crossover with Numb3rs**

**A/N 1: Three reasons I'm writing this. First, is it just coincidence that both the Mentalist AND Numb3rs are set in the same state? It was bugging the hell out of me, so I had to write it. Second, I've never written a crossover, so I wanted to try it. Last, I haven't written anything in a while, and my mind's on the Mentalist and Numb3rs right now, so I figured it would work. Enjoy! Sorry the chapter's so short.**

**A/N #2: The story's set around Halloween time. I'm not sure why. It just seemed like a good way to introduce the story. You shouldn't have to know much about Numb3rs for this one. Everything will be explained.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own either the Mentalist or Numb3rs. Both belong to CBS. No copyright infringement intended. I DO, however, own Mac Brownfield. Mine. Don't touch.

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**Chapter 1: Of Tricks and Treats**

There were too many kids in the building for their own good, Lisbon decided, laying down on her couch and trying to catch some z's before the next one arrived with their obnoxious parents trailing behind.

Halloween was one of Lisbon's least favorite holidays. Fate seemed to be out to get her around this time. She was always rushing to get cases done so that when Halloween finally rolled around, she wasn't half-asleep as she passed out candy.

One might ask why she didn't simply leave the door closed, or put up a sign that said, "Out of Town," or something like that. The truth was, as much as she hated passing out candy, she couldn't bring herself to turn down those (too) happy faces and watch their (too happy) smiles turn into frowns.

She was just beginning to doze off when there was a knock on the door. _Great,_ she thought. _Another one._

Climbing to her feet and grabbing the basket of candy off the counter, she groggily stumbled her way over to the door and opened it.

She was greeted with a loud "Trick or treat!" from a young girl dressed in a ballerina costume.

Lisbon tried to plaster a happy smile to her face and shoved some of the Cheap-O brand candy into the girl's bag.

"Thank you, ma'am," the girl said, smiling brightly. Then she danced away, tutu bouncing up and down.

Lisbon was about to slam the door shut when another voice spoke.

"You look tired," said the girl's father, sounding sympathetic.

Lisbon glanced up at his face. It was Mac Brownfield, who lived three apartments down. He was (apparently) a surfer, as was obvious by his tan skin and sun bleached blonde hair.

"Yeah, I guess," Lisbon said shrugging. _Go away. Go away. Go away..._

Mac smiled. "I know the feeling. Sometimes work just takes it out of you, huh?"

_What do you know about work? You surf for a living._ "Yeah, I guess."

The man nodded. "Sorry to have disturbed you. You were probably trying to sleep."

_Get out of my doorway._ "Yeah, I guess."

Mac shrugged. "Maybe I could take you out for dinner some time."

_GO AWAY. _ "Yeah, I–" Wait, _what?!_

"Uh..." Lisbon stared at him in dumbfounded amazement.

Mac nodded. "Great," he said, obviously trying to contain his excitement. "Tomorrow? Pick you up at six?"

_Dear God, why must I have tomorrow off?_ "Uh..."

His face lit up. "Awesome. See you then."

"Daaa-dy!" yelled his daughter, stomping her foot. Her tutu quivered. "Let's _go!_ I'm supposed to trick-or-treat at Mommy's house too!"

"Coming, sweetie," Mac called. He turned back to Lisbon. "See you tomorrow." Then he left, trailing after his daughter.

Lisbon slammed the door shut and groaned. _Oh God, what have I _done?

Suddenly there was another knock on the door. _Oh, come ON.

* * *

  
_

"Here you go," Alan Eppes said, passing out candy to each of the four kids standing on the doorstep.

"Thank you Mr. Eppes," said one of the girls shyly.

"Not a problem, sweetie." Alan smiled.

The girl blushed, and then her parents ushered she and the other three kids away from the doorstep.

As the kids were rounding the sidewalk to the next house, a large black Suburban with government plates pulled into the driveway. Standing up from his chair out on the front step, Alan waved as his son, Don, climbed out.

"Donnie!" he called.

"Lots of kids out this year," Don observed. He walked up to the front door, carrying a case of beer. "Brought some beer."

A curly head appeared at Alan's side. It was his other son, Charlie, the genius mathematician. "It's about time," Charlie said. "Come on in."

Don headed inside. "Hey, sorry Chuck. I got stuck in traffic on the way back from work."

"Don't call me Chuck!"

Suddenly Don's phone rang. Charlie visibly drooped, obviously hoping to have been able to spend some time with his brother.

"Eppes," Don answered. "Yeah David." He sighed and glanced down at his watch. "Okay. Be there in ten. Don't let anyone in. See you there." He hung up and sighed. "Sorry Chuck. Gotta go. Someone just found a dead body in their house. See ya."

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**A/N: Again, sorry the Author's Note's so long and the chapter's so short. The next one will be longer. Review and tell me what you think!**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	2. Chapter 2: The Mystery Begins

'**Till Death Do We Part**

**A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed! When I opened my inbox this afternoon it was flooded! Thanks to all my reviewers and those who added me to their alerts or favorites. Believe me, you have no idea how happy it makes me to see all of the emails in my inbox. :D**

**Oh, and another thing. This takes place sometime after Bloodshot for the Mentalist, and after Liz left but before Megan left for Numb3rs.

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**Chapter 2: The Mystery Begins**

"What've we got David?" Don asked, following the black agent into the house.

"Our dead guy is Jeremy Brownfield," David answered, pointing to the body lying in the middle of the floor. "He lived here with his girlfriend. Moved here from Sacramento six years ago. He lived with his brother, a Mac Brownfield, up until then."

Don knelt down next to the body. "Murder weapon?" he asked.

"Forensics said it'll take a while to be sure, but they're guessing it was a carving knife," David replied, glancing down at a file in his hands. "The girlfriend said there was one missing."

Don straightened. "All right, let's talk to her then."

"Megan's already on it," David told him. "And Colby's talking to the neighbors."

Don remained impassive on the outside, but on the inside, he swelled with pride. His team worked well together. Better than any other team he had worked on. He just nodded, though.

"So what do we know about Jeremy Brownfield?" he asked.

Consulting the file in his hands, David said, "Twenty-one years old, parents died in a car crash when he was seven. He lived with his brother and aunt until he was eighteen, then moved in with his brother. Arrested twice, first time for a DUI, second for armed robbery and assault."

"Apparently, he and the brother did _not _get along," came a voice from behind them. Don turned. It was Colby Granger.

"Why do you say that?" Don asked.

"Just spoke with the neighbors," Colby answered. "Both said they had seen Brownfield get into some heated arguments with his brother."

"Did they hear what they were arguing about?" David asked.

Colby shook his head. "No. They did say that the brother came around regularly. About once or twice every two weeks."

Don nodded and looked over to David. "Where's the brother live?"

"Sacramento," David said, glancing down at the file again.

Don blew out a long breath. "Damn. That's out of our jurisdiction."

Megan stepped inside. "What is?" she asked.

"Sacramento," Don replied.

"I'll go," Megan volunteered. At the surprise on the other agents' faces, she shrugged and said, "I've got nothing else to do."

"I'll go with you," Don said.

"Fine with me," Megan said. Don nodded, quickly gave a few orders to David and Colby, and followed her out the door.

* * *

Finally. The last ones had come and gone, and now Lisbon was finally offered a chance to rest. She sighed and fell back on her bed.

_I'll take a shower in the morning_, she thought sleepily. _Now, I'm going to sleep. I'm going to–_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden loud knock on the door, knocking her out of her sleepy haze and off her bed.

"Dammit," she grumbled under her breath. What now?

Climbing to her feet a bit unsteadily, Lisbon made her way back to the front door, the obnoxious banging continuing incessantly until she yanked the door open, not bothering to look through the peephole.

"I'm out," she lied.

"Oh, come on. You know you can't lie to me."

Lisbon wrenched her eyelids open to glare at the curly headed, moronic, stupid–

"Trick or treat!" Jane declared, holding out a pillow case half full of sugar and calories.

"NO," Lisbon snapped. "No Jane. Not tonight. Go home. I want to sleep."

"I can tell," Jane said, smiling. "But come on. You can't honestly tell me that you don't want to share your candy..."

"No!" Lisbon snapped back. "I don't. Go away."

"You didn't tell that guy earlier to go away," Jane shot back.

Oh crap. Oh crap, oh crap, oh _crap._ Patrick Jane had seen him. Mac Brownfield. Patrick Jane had seen Mac Brownfield ask to take Teresa Lisbon out on a date, and _she hadn't said no!_ Her life was officially _ruined!_

"W-what guy?" she stammered. Maybe he hadn't seen. Maybe he was just guessing. Maybe he meant a kid.

Yeah. And maybe Rigsby would finally ask out Van Pelt.

Jane rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, did you expect me not to know? Your neighbor, the old lady with the cat, she saw it all."

_That bitch!_ "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said nervously.

"Mac. Brownfield," he said, emphasizing each word.

_Come on_, she whimpered internally. _Why? Why Jane? Why not Cho, or Van Pelt, or... No never mind, not Rigsby._

"So he asked me out," she said, trying for a different play now. "What's it matter to you?"

Jane shrugged. "It'll make a good piece of gossip. The ladies in accounting always love to hear it. They're waiting for Rigsby and Van Pelt to finally go out."

"You wouldn't," Lisbon said, glaring.

Jane raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

"No," she said, wondering internally who she was trying to convince. "You wouldn't. You fear for your life too much."

He just stood there.

She broke. "Okay, what do you want?"

He held out his pillow case deliberately. "Chop, chop."

Glaring, she snatched the basket off the floor and poured what was left into the pillow case. "There, happy?" she snapped.

Jane smiled. "Yes," he said. "Yes I am." He turned and started to walk off, then stopped and turned around.

"What?" Lisbon snapped. _Let me go to bed already!_

He smiled. "Have fun on your date," he said, and then he turned and walked away.

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**A/N: Don't expect the updates to come this quickly in the future. I'm just in a writing mood and I guess my fingers feel like typing. :D Plus I had to work off some steam. Too much homework. Review!**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	3. Chapter 3: Waiting and Worrying

'**Till Death Do Us Part**

**A/N: Once again, thanks to all that reviewed. I'm not replying to reviews unless they contain a question that needs to be answered, just so you know. Oh, and I did look up how long it takes to drive from LA to Sacramento. According to WikiAnswers, it's about six to eight hours, so I guessed that Don would be anxious to get there and said six and a half. :D**

**I'm also going to say that Don and Megan left LA at around 11 AM, so they would get to Sacramento around 5:30 PM, half an hour before Lisbon's date with Mac. I think there's a bit of a time mess up, but just pretend it isn't there. XD

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**Chapter 3: Waiting and Worrying**

Lisbon was desperate. She'd tried everything from begging Minelli to let her come in today (to which he'd said that it was her day off and he was _not_ going to pay her the overtime) to bringing up just enough courage to raise her hand to knock on Mac's door before fleeing back to the safety of her own apartment.

She did _not_ want to go on a date with Mac Brownfield. Anything but that. _Any_thing.

Now however, she was resorting to begging with whatever cruel fates had decided she needed to get out more.

_Maybe Jane put him up to it,_ whispered a voice in the back of her mind.

_Yeah, maybe-_ She cut off that thought. It was just her sleep deprived brain crying out for attention.

She hadn't been able to get a single moment of sleep the night after sending Jane home. She wasn't one for putting on much make-up (she used the bare minimum to keep herself from looking completely boring at work), but maybe if she used enough, she would be able to cover up the bags under her eyes tonight.

That is, if she didn't chicken out first.

_I could pretend to be sick,_ she thought idly. _Yeah. I could come out coughing and apologize and say that I must have caught something at work._

She groaned out loud. She _really_ didn't want to do this.

The sound of loud voices floated through the paper thin walls. Sitting up, Lisbon glanced through the window behind the couch to see who it was.

Two people were walking by, discussing something, a man and a woman. The man had short cropped black hair, and the woman had longer reddish hair. Lisbon didn't recognize them, but then again, she didn't know a lot of the people in the building; she wasn't around enough to.

Dismissing it, Lisbon lay back on her couch and tried to get some sleep before her torture session with Dr. Pain.

* * *

"Mac Brownfield!" Don yelled, pounding on the front door. "Open up!"

They waited for a few minutes. Don glanced over at Megan, who shrugged.

He pounded on the door again. "Mac Brownfield! FBI!"

Finally, the door opened a crack and a young girl peered out. "Hello?" she said, looking curious.

Megan knelt down. "Hi," she said. "My name's Megan, and this is Don. We work for the FBI."

The girl's eyes widened. "My name's Megan too!" she exclaimed.

"Really? That's cool." Megan shot her a smile. "Is your dad home?"

The girl shook her head. "No. He's out getting flowers for his date." She giggled.

"That's cool," Megan repeated. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

The girl shrugged. "It might take him a while, but he has to be back by six. That's when his date is." She giggled again.

"Okay," Don broke in. "Can you give this to him when he gets back?" He held out a small card with the FBI logo on it.

The girl nodded and took the card. "I'll tell Daddy you wanna talk to him."

"Thanks Megan," the elder Megan said, smiling.

"Bye." The girl smiled and shut the door.

"What're you thinking?" Megan asked as they turned away, recognizing the look on Don's face.

"He just happens not to be here when we show up?" Don glanced over at her. "I'm not buyin' it."

"I don't know. Why leave the kid?" Megan pointed out.

Don frowned. "That's a good point. Still, a date?"

"Maybe one of the neighbors knows something," Megan suggested.

"Maybe," Don echoed. He narrowed his eyes, looking at something far off.

"What?" Megan asked, following his line of vision.

"Old lady," Don said. His frown changed to a grin. "How much you wanna bet she knows when the date is, who he's taking out..."

Megan rolled her eyes. "Only you. Or maybe Colby."

Don grinned. "Hey, you know you like it."

Megan snorted and headed off toward the elderly lady, a woman on a mission. And that mission was to get away from her boss as quickly as possible.

Don's grin grew wider and he hurried after her.

* * *

He sat in his studio, looking up at the photo, then back down at the paper in front of him. He had the basic shape of her drawn, but it was lacking that distinct quality that made her... well, her.

He glanced up at the photo again, then added a sketch of the silky black pajamas, complete with the slippers she had on her feet. That had been last night.

Detail by detail, sketch by sketch, he finally finished. Sighing, he sat back, then stood and used a thumb tack to keep the new drawing on the wall with the others. Then he walked over to the shredder and let the machine do its work. Within moments, the photo was in strips, lining the inside of his trash bin.

He sighed and admired the new drawing, silence descending on the studio once more. He could add color, but he wanted to keep a black-and-white copy of this one. It was the best yet.

He glanced down at his watch, then sighed once again. He would need to leave soon. It was almost quarter to six. He had to be there on time. What would she think if he was late? He shuddered in horror. Well, that was one thing he wouldn't have to worry about. He would be there on time. No matter what.

Still, he cast one last glance in the direction of the new drawing, with its perfect curves, beautiful face, half cast in the shadows of her apartment.

"Beautiful," he whispered, sighing.

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**A/N: Ooh, into the mind of the beast. :) I know this chapter was short, but it still deserves all of your attention. And hopefully that attention includes a review... *hint hint* :)**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	4. Chapter 4: Dangerous Discoveries

'**Till Death Do We Part**

**A/N: Once again, thanks to all reviewers. You rock my world. Here's the new one.

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**Chapter 4: Dangerous Discoveries**

This was going to be disastrous. Lisbon could tell.

Upon realizing that she only had ten minutes until Mac was supposed to pick her up, she'd hurriedly run into the shower, careful not to get her hair wet. After, she had applied the bare minimum of makeup that would conceal the dark bags under her eyes. Which, unfortunately, was a _lot._

She'd then hurriedly thrown on a nicer pair of jeans and a lightly used T-shirt, hoping to whatever all-powerful being that was look down on her (and laughing) that Mac wasn't a five star restaurant kind of guy.

Now, Lisbon found herself wishing he'd just show up already so they could get it over with. People in Lisbon's position just weren't set up for lives outside the workplace. Maybe that was why Rigsby hadn't given most women a second glance before Van Pelt.

The sudden ringing of the doorbell knocked Lisbon out of her thoughts. _Here we go_, she thought wearily.

Lisbon had to force herself to get off the couch and walk over to the front door. It took even more effort to glance through the peephole and confirm that it was indeed Mac. Her stomach dropped to her feet.

Finally, she mustered up enough courage to plaster a smile on her face and open the door.

Mac was standing there, hands in his pockets, eyes on the ground, dressed in a similar ensemble: jeans and a dark T-shirt. He looked up as Lisbon opened the door.

"Hi," he greeted, looking a bit shy. "Uh... You look nice."

She tried to smile (and probably failed). "Thanks. You too."

"So, uh... Ready to go?" Mac asked.

Every cell in her body screamed, _No! Don't do it! Even if it kills you! Don't!_ She was tempted to agree.

"Sure," Lisbon said weakly.

Mac smiled. "Great. My car's waiting in the parking lot. I've just got to drop my daughter at her babysitter's. Hope that's okay."

She had to spend _more_ time with him? "Sure. That's fine."

Mac's smile grew. "Good. Come on."

Groaning inwardly, Lisbon turned to grab her bag.

If the mystical being in the sky hadn't been laughing before, it was now on the floor, tears streaming down its face and clutching its stomach.

* * *

The sound of a phone ringing broke the silence of the SUV as Don and Megan drove to find a hotel. It was too late to head back to LA, and they still had to question Mac Brownfield.

Don fumbled for a moment before flipping his phone open and answering it. "Eppes."

"Hey Don, it's me."

"Oh, hey David. Hang on a second, let me put you on speaker." He hit a button and then handed the phone to Megan, freeing up his hands so he could drive better.

"You and Colby get anything more from the girlfriend?" he asked.

"Yeah," David responded. "She didn't seem to know much, but I got the impression that she didn't like your guy much."

"Mac Brownfield?" Don asked.

"Yeah," the other agent replied. "She said he and the vic were having issues, fighting a lot."

Don nodded. "You guys get anything else?"

"No," David answered. "You?"

"Brownfield wasn't at home," Don said. "We're gonna grab a hotel room and check out where he works tomorrow, then head back to his place. We're not coming back 'till we find him."

"Right, Don."

"'Kay, talk to you later David." He nodded to Megan, who shut the phone.

They wandered around for a little longer before finally finding a hotel with vacancy. Don wondered what it was that had everyone in town tonight. Finally, though, he parked, and the two of them climbed out.

Grabbing their bags, the they headed inside. Don left his bag with Megan and went up to the front desk.

"Hi," he said. "I need a room, one night only. Two beds, if you can."

The man behind the counter winced. "Sorry," he said apologetically. "You're the third person who's asked about two beds. We've got one room left, and it's only got one bed."

Don let out a frustrated breath and glanced back at Megan. She raised an eyebrow. He sighed and turned back around.

"That's fine," he said. He could always sleep in a chair, or on the floor.

"Okay." The man hit a few buttons on the keyboard of the computer, and then handed Don the room key. "Have a nice stay."

"Thanks," Don said. He stalked back over to Megan.

She raised an eyebrow. "What'd he say?" she asked.

Don sighed. "The only room they have left only has one bed."

Megan rolled her eyes.

"What?" Don asked, frowning.

Megan shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing. Don't worry. Come on."

* * *

After they had dropped off the little girl at her babysitter's house, Lisbon's dread only grew. They drove for a while.

"Hope you're okay with burgers," Mac said finally.

"That's fine," Lisbon said, trying not to sound too bored.

"Good."

It was silent for a while after that, until Mac cursed. Lisbon looked away from the road.

"What?" she asked.

"Gotta get gas," Mac said. "Sorry."

"No it's okay," Lisbon said. "Don't worry about it."

Mac shrugged, but didn't say anything, just turned into a gas station.

Lisbon stayed in the car as Mac climbed out and grabbed a pump. As she stared at her hands laying limply in her lap, she noticed something white sticking out from underneath the seat.

Frowning, Lisbon tried to ignore it, but it was too distracting. She finally reached down and picked it up. Photo paper. Curiosity getting the better of her, she turned it over...

And froze.

Suddenly the door clicked open and Mac climbed in. Lisbon shoved the photo into her bag.

"Something wrong?" Mac asked, frowning.

Lisbon swallowed hard. "No. I'm fine."

Not.

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**A/N: Oooh, cliffhanger. Bet you can't guess what was in the picture. Anyone who does gets a virtual Mac voodoo doll. Hate him as much as you want! :) Review!**

**OH! Did anyone see Friday's episode of Numb3rs?!?!? DOOOON!!!**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	5. Chapter 5: Dun, Dun, Dun

**Till Death Do We Part**

**A/N: Congrats to Ebony10 and kathiann **** for guessing what was in the photo. :D Good job guys.

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**Chapter 5: Dun, Dun, Dun...**

Why was it that all the Eppes men were so damn stubborn? Anyone who said they knew was lying, but Megan would give them a pat on the back for trying.

Don was being... difficult. He had no problem walking into the room shirtless after grabbing a shower in the hotel's cheap bathrooms (he didn't even notice the blush on Megan's face as she tried to look anywhere but at him), but at the prospect of sleeping in the same bed, he reacted as a child (or Colby, for that matter) would: with complete horror. It didn't really matter to her whether or not he slept in the bed. She just didn't want to deal with a grumpy Don in the morning

Megan was still up reading when Don awoke for what had to be the sixth time that night.

"Huh?" Don sat up in the chair, jolting upright, eyes wide.

Megan rolled her eyes. "Just get in the bed," she said.

Don sat back, already starting to close his eyes. "I'm fine."

Megan sighed. "Don, we're both adults."

"Exactly," he grumbled, staring down at his hands.

"Is _that_ what this is about?" Megan stared at her team leader with amusement. When he didn't answer, she went on. "Don, I really don't think either of us is going to do anything. Especially not anything that would require mutual consent."

Don didn't move.

Megan let out a frustrated breath. "Just get in the damn bed. You won't sleep at all in that chair."

His eyes flicked up to her, but he still didn't budge from his seat in the clearly uncomfortable chair, and his eyes fell back to his hands.

Megan narrowed her eyes. "If you don't get in, I'll tell Granger that we _did_ do something that would require mutual consent."

He looked back up at her, eyes wide with alarm.

"You wouldn't," he said, voice confident.

Megan raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

"You'd take crap from him too," Don tried, begging now.

She shrugged. "I'll live."

"C'mon Megan," he pleaded. She didn't say anything. "Reeves..." he tried, his voice hard now.

Megan narrowed her eyes. "Eppes."

He narrowed his eyes as well, and for a few moments, they stared each other down. Megan was about to give in and go back to her book when he sighed.

"Fine. Okay? Fine. I'll sleep in the bed."

Megan grinned triumphantly. "Knew you'd give in."

"Yeah, whatever," Don muttered. He got up and stalked over to the bed, staring at her apprehensively.

She laughed. "Wimp."

Don rolled his eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed as she moved over, making room. He lay back and crossed his arms over his chest, closing his eyes determinedly.

Megan rolled her eyes again. "Oh come on. This hotel's freezing. No way you're gonna make it without a blanket."

Don opened his eyes to glare at her. "Do you _want_ me to sleep with you?" he snapped.

Megan blushed, heat rushing to her face. "Just shut up and get under the covers."

He gritted his teeth, but climbed under the covers, then lay on his side, facing away from her.

"'Night, Don," Megan said, keeping her voice cheery.

"Shut up."

* * *

Lisbon was so focused on coming up with ideas to get her out of the car and away from her nightmare date, that she didn't realized the car had stopped until Mac opened her door for her.

"We're here," he said, smiling.

She tried to smile and took off her seatbelt, arms moving woodenly. "Thanks," she said. In her mind, she was punching his lights out and taking off.

_I miss my gun,_ she whimpered internally.

"Come on." Mac led her to the front door, and held it open like a gentleman.

_Gentleman,_ a voice in her head spat. _Yeah right._

"Hey, Mac!" a voice greeted them inside. A man was standing at the bar. "Good to see ya. Looks like you finally got a date to come in here."

Mac rolled his eyes. "Shut up Jeff. Where's Kyle?"

The man, Jeff, jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "In the back."

"I'll go get us drinks," Mac said to Lisbon. "You'll be okay?"

"Yeah," Lisbon said quietly. _The further away you are, the better._

Mac disappeared, and Lisbon relaxed a little, taking a chance to survey the building out of habit. It was old. At one point, it probably had been a burger place, but now it was little more than a bar. There was a couple at a booth in the back who were now gathering their things quickly. Maybe it was because of Mac, she mused.

_Like a shark and a school of fish. Or a wolf and a deer._

_Or a stalker and his prey._

Lisbon shuddered.

"Cold?" Jeff asked from behind her. Lisbon turned.

"You shivered," Jeff supplied. "You cold?"

"Uh... No," Lisbon said. "I'm fine."

"It can get a little chilly in here," Jeff said, wiping down the bar counter. "I can turn the heat up now, though, since it looks like everyone's leaving."

"No," Lisbon said. "It's fine. You don't have to do anything."

Jeff shrugged. "I usually turn it up before I leave anyway. You're lucky though. We're staying open late for Mac. Close friend."

_Are you a stalker too?_ Lisbon thought cynically.

"So you've known him for a long time?" she asked casually.

"Oh yeah," Jeff said. "Mac and me go _way_ back. Even before he started the whole art thing."

"Art?" Lisbon asked. Maybe this would help her search for more information about her stalker/date.

"Yeah," Jeff said. "Mac's a great artist." He shot her a speculative look. "You look a lot like his ex. She used to model for him a lot."

Great. A psychopath. Everyone's favorite kind of criminal.

* * *

**A/N: There you have it. Sorry for the wait. And I know the ending is hideous and terrible and... ugh *shudders*, but I only had Language Arts to write the end. Sorry! Review!**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	6. Chapter 6: Memories of a Dark Night

'**Till Death Do We Part**

**A/N: Wow, more people liked the ending of the last chapter than I expected. I thought it just kinda... ended. *shrug* I don't know. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, here's chapter 6. Enjoy. Cheers.

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**Chapter 6: Memories of a Dark Night**

You would think that, after all the kicking and screaming about sleeping in the same bed, the Cliche Fairy would find time in her busy schedule and Megan would wake up in Don's arms and everything would be right in the world.

Instead, she woke up on the floor.

"What the..." she muttered, rolling over and looking up. Gentle snores floated away from the bed, and Don's arm hung over the side.

Megan rolled her eyes and got up.

* * *

_Three hours later..._

After deciding that a new hotel room was in order, the two left to check out Brownfield's apartment one more time.

As they got closer to the apartment, though, Don stopped and put out one arm to stop her while his other hand went for his gun. He nodded toward the apartment door, which stood slightly ajar. Megan nodded and pulled out her own gun.

They approached the front door, silently taking up positions on either side of the door. Don held up one finger, then two, then three...

He nodded and Megan pushed the door open with one hand. They quickly stepped into the apartment, searching each room until there was only one door left. It was only open about an inch, but Megan could hear a voice floating out.

She signaled for Don to join her, and on his count, they pushed the door open.

There was a woman standing in the middle of the room, putting her cell phone away and facing away from them. She froze when she heard Don push the door open.

"Don't move," Don said in his "Don't-you-dare-try-anything" voice. "Put your hands on top of your head and stand up slowly."

The woman complied, and Don pulled out his cuffs and quickly locked them around the woman's wrists. Then he slowly turned her around to face them.

Megan's jaw dropped. "You're Jeremy Brownfield's girlfriend," she said in confusion.

"_Ex_-girlfriend," the woman huffed. Megan searched her mind for the woman's name. C. It started with a C.

"What are you doing here?" Megan asked. Cassidy? Cassandra?

"I thought Mac might like to know his brother's dead," snapped the woman. Cassie, maybe? No. That wasn't right either.

"Have you seen him?" Don asked seriously. Catherine! That was it!

"Who, Jeremy?" Catherine snorted. "He's dead, remember?"

"Mac Brownfield," Don corrected.

"No." Catherine flipped her hair over her shoulder. "He's running off, probably stalking some poor innocent soul again, the son of a bitch."

Megan shot a glance at the girl sitting on the floor, but she seemed unfazed.

"What do you mean by that?" Don asked.

The woman's eyes flared. "The bastard stalked me for three years. If it weren't for Jeremy, I'd be dead."

"Stalked?" Megan frowned. The victims of stalkers usually weren't so forthcoming with that particular bit of information.

"S-t-a-l-k-e-d," Catherine spelled angrily. "Damn son of a bitch. He ruined my life. I couldn't go anywhere without looking over my shoulder. Jeremy saved my life. We met when Mac took me out to dinner. Jeremy met us there. Threatened to tell the police if Mac didn't lay off."

"Did he?" Megan asked, frowning still.

"You bet your scrawny little ass he did," Catherine spat. "Little bastard ran for his life with his tail between his legs. And you know what? Screw him. He can go screw himself for all I care."

Don shot Megan a look. "Then why'd you come here?"

"Because Megan deserves to know that Jeremy's dead," Catherine said. "Mac'd never tell her. Son of a bitch doesn't tell anyone anything. Screw him."

Megan glanced over at Don. "Have you had any contact with him before Jeremy's death?"

"No." Catherine's eyes flared once more. "If I had, he would probably be dead."

Megan shared a quick glance with Don.

"Look, since I didn't actually _do_ anything, can you get these damn cuffs off me?"

Don rolled his eyes, but quickly uncuffed the girl. "Now get out of here. And don't let me catch you here again."

Catherine started to walk away, but Megan called her back. "Wait! Where's he work?"

Catherine raised an eyebrow, but quickly rattled off the address before disappearing out the front door.

* * *

_The previous night..._

As soon as the door closed behind her, Lisbon had her phone out, dropping her bag on the floor, and fumbling for the speed dial.

Then she stopped. Things like this, though not as bad, had happened before. There had been Brandon in accounting, the main reason Rigsby hated _everyone_ in accounting. He'd only asked her out once, but Rigsby, Cho, and Jane had decided that something needed to be done about it. So they'd ambushed him in the CBI bathroom and threatened him until he swore he wouldn't ask her out again.

It was like being the big protector sister all over again. Her brothers had taken over for her dad when she had started dating, since it was obvious her dad didn't really care.

She didn't want to think of what would happen if she told them. Her finger hovered over speed dial 1, Jane, and forced herself to slowly close the phone.

Then she sank down, back pressed against the door, and sobbed for what seemed like the first time in years.

* * *

It was _gone!_

"No, no, no, no!" He ran around the room, throwing up frantic cries and scattering old drawings around the studio.

"_No!_" His voice cracked on the word. The photo was_ gone_. The original, the final piece to the set. It was _gone!_

This couldn't be happening. He couldn't have lost it. It wasn't _possible!_

"_NO!"_ he shouted. He slammed his foot against the door to the studio. _"NO, NO, NO, NO!"_

He grabbed the nearest object he could find, a ballpoint pen, and slammed it into the wall. He had to get it back. _Now._ If he didn't...

"No," he whimpered, sinking to the floor, not knowing that his subject was doing the same thing in her apartment.

"No," he whispered again, tears sinking down his face. "No. No, no, no."

Then he bent over, seeking the knife he knew was there, and stood up. Something had to be done. Now.

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, what's he gonna do? Stay tuned to find out! Sorry for the wait. Review!**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	7. Chapter 7: When Worlds Collide

**'Till Death Do We Part**

**A/N: Be happy, this one's longer. Finally, our protagonists meet. The story's probably going to be shorter than I anticipated, but I'll see if I can't draw it out for you. Cheers!

* * *

**

**Chapter 7: When Worlds Collide**

Lisbon did _not _want to go to work that day. She'd rather she was _anywhere_ else.

Of course though, Jane had to ask.

"How was your date?" he asked playfully when she came in the next morning.

Cho and Rigsby looked up. "You had a date?" Cho asked, eyes narrowing.

Lisbon glared in Jane's direction. "Thanks," she hissed.

"You didn't answer my question."

Lisbon's glare intensified. "Not now, Jane. I don't have time for this."

"Sure you do," Jane said, following her into her office and sitting on her desk. "Why not?"

"Go away," Lisbon snapped. "I'm not in the mood."

"Was it that bad?"

"Go _away!_" Lisbon snarled, turning in his direction. He blinked, as if he didn't believe she had actually done that.

"But-"

"Now, Jane!" she snapped.

He hesitated, then left. Van Pelt appeared behind him, watching as he left. She turned to Lisbon. "We've got a call," she said.

Lisbon ran a hand over her face. "Okay. Let's go check it out."

* * *

"Looks like the place," Don said, turning into the parking lot of a building with a sign in front that read, "Mac's Art – Portraits, Photography, and Painting".

Megan nodded as the two climbed out of the SUV, heading for the front door. The sign on the door said it was closed, but when Don tried the handle, it opened smoothly, without a sound. He raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Megan, who shrugged, but pulled her gun out. Don mirrored the move, and they stepped inside.

It was dark in the main room, but Megan could faintly make out two doors at the back of the room behind a counter with a register on top. One of the doors was labeled "EXIT", and the other "STUDIO – WORK IN PROGRESS, DO NOT ENTER".

They checked the main room before moving on to the studio door. On Don's count, Megan pushed the door open and they quickly cleared the room.

Lowering her gun, Megan looked around. The studio was a mess, with papers scattered around the floor, pens and pencils dotting the carpet. There was a large desk against the back wall with a work lamp and a pencil basket on top. The majority of the walls were dominated by hundreds of drawings and paintings, some in color, others black and white. Megan spotted one of a bouquet of roses. Mac Brownfield was actually a pretty good artist.

Don spoke from behind her. "Megan, take a look at this."

She crossed the room to see what he was looking at: a drawing of a woman with only a towel keeping the rating from jumping to R (**A/N: If you know what I mean...)**. She held a TV remote in one hand, trying to juggle the towel and a phone with the other.

Megan exchanged a glance with Don. The picture was drawn as if looking from through a window into what was probably an apartment.

"There's more," Don said, gesturing to pretty much the entire wall, which was covered in drawings of the woman. There were even a couple photographs hanging on the wall.

Megan bent to pick up one that had fallen to the floor. "Don," she said quietly.

He turned to look, then his eyes widened. "Damn," he whispered.

The picture was of the same woman, entering a federal building: CBI, California Bureau of Investigation. Only this time, she was looking in the direction that the photo had been taken, suspicion crossing her face, and the quality of the picture was much worse, as if it had been taken in a hurry.

"She knew he was there," Don said.

Megan nodded. "This isn't some random model. He's stalking her."

"What makes you say that?" Don asked.

"Look at the photos," Megan said, gesturing around. "They're all taken from a distance, and she's never in a pose. Not to mention that some of these are really bad."

"Like he took them quickly," Don said, realization coming across his face. "And he didn't want to get caught."

Megan nodded. "Not to mention the sheer number, along with the fact that he keeps them all on this one wall."

"It backs up the girlfriend's story, too," Don added.

Megan nodded. "This is definitely stalking, no question about it."

"We have to find this woman," Don said, looking at the photos again. "And I know where to start."

* * *

"Mr. Minelli?"

Minelli's head snapped up. In front of him was his secretary, a pretty, young blonde.

"Yes, Daisy?" he asked.

Daisy smiled. "There are two FBI agents out here who want to see you."

Minelli frowned. FBI? Why did the FBI want to talk to him?

Nevertheless, he said, "Show them in, Daisy." The blonde nodded and disappeared.

A moment later, two people, a man and a woman, entered his office. The man had short, cropped black hair. The woman's was long and a mix of red and brown.

"You're in charge here?" asked the man, pulling off a pair of sunglasses and putting them away.

"Yes," Minelli said, frowning. He got to his feet. "How can I help the FBI?"

"I'm Special Agent Don Eppes, this is Special Agent Megan Reeves," the man said. "We're here about a potential stalking case, and we think one of your people may be involved."

Minelli's eyes widened. "_None_ of my people are involved in _anything_ like that."

"We know," Eppes said. "But we found a picture of a woman entering this building, and we want to know if you recognize her." He pulled out a photo and put it on the desk.

Minelli's eyes widened. "That... That's Lisbon!"

"You know her then?" Reeves asked.

Minelli nodded. "Yes. Special Agent Teresa Lisbon. But I can't imagine that she'd be mixed up with this."

"Can we speak to her?" Eppes asked.

"Of course. Her office is right over there." He pointed to the spot. "Her team was out on a call, but they just got back, so she should be in there."

Eppes stood. "Thank you," he said.

Minelli nodded. "Of course." He shook hands with both agents, and sank shakily into his seat once they left. _Lisbon?_

Daisy poked her head past the door. "Can I get you anything Mr. Minelli?" she asked politely.

"No Daisy, that's all right. I'll just step outside for a minute." He sighed, remembering everything he'd done to stop smoking. He'd even gone as far as to ask _Jane_ for help. "I need a cigarette."

Once Daisy had gone, Minelli muttered to himself, "I'm getting too old for this."

* * *

When someone knocked on her door, Lisbon's first response was, of course, "Go away Jane."

Whoever it was cleared their throat, and Lisbon looked up to see that it definitely wasn't Jane. Instead there was a man standing at the door, a woman behind him.

"I'm so sorry," she said, standing up. "I thought you were someone else."

The man smiled. "It's alright. Don't worry about it."

Lisbon smiled back. "Come in."

The two walked in and took a seat while Lisbon sat back down.

"You're Teresa Lisbon?" asked the woman.

Lisbon nodded, frowning. "Can I help you?"

"Special Agent Don Eppes, FBI," said the man. "This is my partner, Special Agent Megan Reeves. We were here investigating a homicide in Los Angeles, and we came here to find the brother of the victim."

Lisbon's frown deepened. "What does this have to do with me?" she asked.

"Do you recognize this man?" Eppes asked, handing her a photo. In it was a young man, mid-twenties, with messy sun bleached hair and dark eyes.

Lisbon shook her head. "Never seen him before."

"His name's Jeremy Brownfield," Eppes said.

Lisbon's eyes widened. _Brownfield?!_ She shrugged it off. It couldn't be that uncommon of a name. But still, it was nearly impossible for it to be a coincidence.

She could feel their eyes on her, studying her reaction, and she forced herself to look up from the photo, staying calm. "I'm sorry," she said. "But I can't help you."

"You know we don't believe that," Eppes said, staring at her hard. "You may not know_ Jeremy_ Brownfield, but I'd be willing to bet you know his brother Mac."

_Let them help!_ screeched a voice in the back of her mind.

_And let the team know what's going on?_ she thought cynically. _Not a chance._

"Agent Lisbon," Reeves said, sitting forward. "If he's stalking you, we can do something about it. He's done this to other women." She paused. "We can help you."

Lisbon shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do," Eppes said, fixing her with a glare.

Lisbon glared right back, and for a moment she held his gaze, but then she dropped her eyes to her desk.

"I can't do this anymore," Lisbon whispered.

"Is he stalking you?" Reeves asked.

Lisbon held her head in her hands and whispered, "Yes." She looked up to see Eppes and Reeves exchange a glance, and then Reeves spoke.

"Listen," she said. "We can get you protection. We can put an agent on your residence- "

"Oh, like that's gonna do a lot of good," Lisbon spat. "He lives next door!"

Reeves and Eppes looked surprised, and for a moment it was silent.

"We can help you," Reeves said finally, echoing her earlier words.

Lisbon looked back down. _Give it up,_ hissed a voice in the back of her mind. _Don't be an idiot. They can help you!_

_I can take care of myself,_ she thought.

Finally, she looked up. "I appreciate the thought," she said. "But I can take care of myself. If I believed I needed help, I would have done something."

The two agents stared at her for a moment, then Eppes nodded.

"Okay," he said, standing. "Have it your way. Whatever you say."

Lisbon watched them leave, and then she let her head fall into her hands again.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Lisbon. :)**

**On another note, completely unrelated to the story, a few of you might have heard, but most of you probably haven't. I recently started a LiveJournal community for the Mentalist Awards, which will be giving awards out to the best stories in Mentalist fanfiction. Nominations have been going on for a while, but Het nominations are closed, and we're only accepting three more Gen nominations. **_**Please**_** nominate and spread the word! Nominations will not be accepted after June 29, so please help! And spread the word as much as possible!**

**Anyway, review, nominate, and spread the word!**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	8. Chapter 8: An Accident

'**Till Death Do Us Part**

**A/N: I am **_**so**_** sorry for the wait! I can't believe how long I let this go! I'm sure you all hate me, but let's hope that this makes you happier. :D In other news, you all seemed to have reached an agreement: Lisbon's an idiot for not accepting Megan and Don's offer. Don't worry though, I won't let her kill herself. Cheers!

* * *

**

**Chapter 8: An Accident**

Lisbon shivered as Eppes and Reeves left. This was far darker than she had thought when Mac had asked her out on Halloween night.

Maybe Reeves was right, she thought. Maybe she _was_ in danger. Her practical side was telling her that Mac was dangerous, that she couldn't do this alone, but her pride wouldn't allow her to accept the FBI agents' offer of protection.

_Well do _something! yelled a voice in her mind.

Lisbon winced. Okay, so Reeves _was_ right. No matter how innocent he may seem on the outside, Mac could be dangerous, and Lisbon needed someone, or some_thing_, to protect her.

The least she could do, Lisbon decided, was get someone to stay with her that night. In her mind, the choice was obvious.

She approached Cho's desk warily. He was filling out the last in a stack of forms from the call they'd been out on, which had been turned over to Cyber Crimes.

"Cho," she said, reaching his desk.

The black-haired agent looked up. "What's up?" he asked.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" she asked.

Cho raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me out?"

"What? No!" Lisbon exclaimed.

"Then why?"

"I..." Lisbon thought frantically to come up with a reason. "I need someone to watch my cat while I sleep," she said finally.

Cho stared disbelievingly. "Your cat," he said, his voice flat.

Lisbon nodded. "Yeah. He keeps knocking things over while I sleep, but not when I'm awake, so I thought maybe he wouldn't do it for someone else."

"You don't have a cat."

_Dammit!_ Trust Cho to remember something like that.

Now, thought, she turned to a tactic she didn't often use.

"Cho," she begged. "Please."

Cho stared at her for a minute. "Why?" he said finally.

Lisbon stared back. "It's a long story," she answered.

"Does it have anything to do with those FBI agents?"

She swallowed hard. "Yes."

Once again, the two agents were silent.

_Say something!_ her mind screamed.

Finally, Cho spoke. "Okay," he said. "Just tell me this: Are you in danger?"

"It's possible."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll do it."

* * *

As soon as Lisbon left, Cho got up and quickly tracked down Rigsby in the men's bathroom. He laened against the wall as the other agent washed his hands and quickly explained what he knew of the situation. Somewhere in the middle, Jane appeared, but, of course, he seemed to know the whole story already.

"What do we do?" Rigsby asked worriedly.

Jane cut in. "Cho is going to go home with Lisbon and keep watch from inside her apartment. RIgsby and I are going on stakeout."

Rigsby frowned. "Stakeout? Where?"

"Lisbon's place, idiot," Cho said, rolling his eyes. "But we need to find out what those FBI agents were doing here."

"Oh, I already know," Jane broke in. Cho and Rigsby turned, Cho raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I have a hunch," Jane amended. "Don';t you find it a bit suspicious that, the day after Lisbon has a secret date she won't tell anyone about, two FBI agents show up, wanting to talk to Lisbon?"

"What are you thinking?" Cho asked warily.

The consultant's face darkened. "I think we need to find out what those FBI agents were doing here."

* * *

As far as he knew, no one had ever seen the inside of Lisbon's apartment before. Cho, himself, was seeing it for the first time. He couldn't help glancing around curiously as he followed her inside.

They got takeout and ate on the couch, watching the game. Later, Cho wouldn't be able to recall which game exactly they had been watching. It would have been more accurate to say that Lisbon was watching the game, and Cho was watching the windows.

Eventually, they finished the food and Lisbon turned the TV off, disappearing into the bedroom and saying she was going to bed. Cho settled himself on the couch and pulled out his book. He had no intention of falling asleep, not tonight.

But even the best plans have flaws, like the grogginess induced by the Bob's Thai Market takeout they'd eaten for dinner, and the boringness of the book Cho was forcing himself to read. Eventually, without meaning to, the book slipped out of his hands and he fell asleep.

* * *

He licked his lips nervously as he picked the lock. He had to get in. He had to get to her before she saw him as a monster.

"I'm not a monster," he whispered to himself. "I am _not_ a monster."

Finally, the lock clicked and he tried the door. It opened smoothly and he slipped inside, closing it carefully behind him. There was a sleeping form on the couch, and he swallowed nervously. How was he going to get past whoever it was without waking them once he had Teresa?

He walked past the couch and opened a second door. Inside, he could see Teresa lying asleep on the bed. Carefully, he moved over to the bed and slipped his arms under her, then lifted.

If any part of his mind had been rational, he would have realized that there was a flaw in his plan, just as there had been in that of Cho: Teresa Lisbon was an extremely light sleeper.

As soon as he lifted, her eyes shot open. She took in his face, and she screamed.

"_CHO!"

* * *

_

In the other room, Cho shot up. Without thinking, he ran for the bedroom, taking in the scene before him. The man had a good six inches and fifty pounds over Cho, but it was two on one.

Cho pulled his gun out. "Don't move," he said, making sure to keep his voice as threatening as possible.

"You don't understand," the man said, looking up.

"Oh, yes, I do," Cho snapped. "If you move a muscle, I'll put a bullet through your head."

"No, you won't," the man said.

"Give me a reason," Cho snarled.

And he did. The man leaped at Cho, knocking him to the ground, and the gun slipped out of Cho's hand, skittering across the floor. The man grabbed Cho's head and slammed it against the wall. Cho groaned and slid down to the floor.

"Cho!" Lisbon called desperately. Mac turned back to her and grabbed her, clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Shh, shh," he whispered. "We don't want to get caught. Please. Just be quiet."

Lisbon fought him as hard as she could, but Mac was taller and stronger than she was, and there was no way she was getting away.

Mac dragged her out of the room and headed for the apartment door, not bothering to close it this time. Just as he was about to reach the stairs, Cho reappeared and leaped at Mac. Throwing Lisbon out of the way, Mac grabbed Cho with all the strength of a god and threw him over the railing.

Lisbon couldn't help but scream again as she watched Cho's body plummet three stories down to the hard concrete ground.

* * *

**A/N: DUN, DUN, DUN. What's going to happen? Only time will tell (or the next chapter. Whichever comes first). Don't forget to review!**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	9. Chapter 9: A Rescue?

'**Till Death Do Us Part**

**A/N: To everyone who was **_**very**_** upset with me for what I did to Cho: Beware of cliches. They are dangerous little things that like to get stuck on the fur of plot bunnies. In this case, there are a lot of those damn little things stuck to my bunny, but never fear! I will not give in. Not to all of them, anyway. :)**

**Also, to everyone who thought that Lisbon was a little helpless in the last chapter, I promise, once the story's done, I'll go back and fix that chapter. It was a little awkward to write, but I'll get to it as soon as possible. I promise. Enjoy!

* * *

**

**Chapter 9: A Rescue?**

Joe had been homeless so long that he'd nearly forgotten his last name. Today, he'd gotten $5.37 and a can of beans. He was dead tired, and he hated walking the mile and a half from where he sat everyday to where he'd made his temporary residence: a mattress outside one of the apartment buildings that didn't bother to keep security at night. Right now, at four in the morning, all he wanted to do was curl up on said mattress and go to sleep.

The only problem was, it looked like it was soon to be occupied.

He stumbled back as the man fell through the air and landed hard on Joe's mattress. Joe's eyes widened, and the man groaned.

"Whoa, man, falling from the sky can hurt," Joe warned him.

The man opened his eyes and started to say something, but he was cut off as two other men came running up.

"Cho!" It was the darker haired one who spoke. "What the hell happened? Are you okay?"

"Peachy, Rigsby, thanks," snapped the man on Joe's mattress.

"Where's Lisbon?" demanded the blondie.

The man clenched his fists. "He got her." Suddenly his eyes widened. "Rigsby, go find them!"

"Too late, you know," Joe put in. The three men turned to stare at him. Joe suddenly felt very shabby in his torn jeans and weathered T-shirt. These men were all in suits, and he could tell that at least two of them were packing heat.

"That him?" Joe pointed to a car that went speeding by, headlights flashing.

"Damnit," the Asian growled, struggling to get to his feet.

"Whoa, hold it, stay down!" The darker haired one pushed the Asian back down. "We've gotta call this in."

"Are you mad?" snapped the blondie. "They're getting away! Whoever he is, he's got Lisbon!"

"Wait!" The Asian broke into the argument. "We need to find those FBI agents. Now."

"But how?" Rigsby asked anxiously.

"Ya could call 'em," Joe suggested.

The three men seemed to realize for the first time that the other man was even there. "Who the hell are you?" demanded Asian-boy.

"Joe," he said.

"Nice to meet you," Blondie said absently. "We need to find Lisbon!"

"Those FBI agents actually know what we're dealing with here," argued Asian-boy.

"We need to call it in!" snapped Darker-Hair.

"Uh, 'scuse me?" Joe broke in. "I found this the other night. Maybe it'll help ya?" He held out a card he'd found on the ground the other night. The letters _F-B-I_ were written on the top in fancy lettering.

Asian-boy snatched it out of his hand. "What were those agents names?" he demanded.

"Uh, Eppes?" Darker-Hair said unsurely.

Asian-boy's phone seemed to materialize out of thin air, he pulled it out so quick.

"I need to make a call."

* * *

Don was woken at four in the morning by a loud ringing. He groaned and rolled over, feeling on the nightstand for his phone.

"Here."

He opened his eyes groggily to find Megan holding out his phone.

"Thanks," he muttered, snapping the phone open. "Eppes."

"This is Agent Cho from the CBI."

Don struggled into a sitting position. "Can I help you?"

"You came to the CBI office today to speak with Agent Lisbon?" asked agent on the other line.

"Yes," Don said hesitantly. Megan was frowning over at him, and he shrugged. "Why?"

"Something's happened."

In the background, he heard someone snap, _"Oh, for God's sake Cho."_

He heard a scuffling sound, then another voice came over the phone.

"That bastard kidnapped her."

Don's eyes widened. "Where are you?"

"Outside her apartment building," the other man said.

"We'll be there in ten," Don said, glancing at his watch.

"What the hell happened?" Megan demanded once Don had shut his phone.

"I knew she should have gotten our protection," Don growled, climbing out of bed. "Son of a bitch kidnapped her."

Megan's eyes widened. "How the hell did that happen?"

"Damned if I know," Don muttered. "Come on."

* * *

"What the hell happened?" demanded the dark-haired agent who'd been to the CBI office that day.

Cho turned, trying not to hurt his back or aggravate the EMT. In the ten minutes since the call, the building had been surrounded by the CBI and Sacramento PD.

"You're Eppes?" Rigsby asked.

"Yeah," the other man snapped. "Now what the hell happened?"

"He broke in," Cho growled. "Because I couldn't keep my damn eyes open."

"It's not your fault," Rigsby snapped. Jane said nothing.

"I fell asleep," Cho went on, ignoring Rigsby. "He broke in and got to Lisbon. I couldn't get to them in time. We fought, but he threw me over the rail." He jerked his head towards where Joe the hobo was being questioned by another CBI agent, still hovering protectively around his mattress.

"It's not your fault," Rigsby repeated. Cho didn't respond.

"Look, we don't have time to be arguing over who's damn fault it is," Reeves said. "We need to find her. Now."

"Well, yeah, that would be why we called you," Jane snapped.

"Jane, shut up," Rigsby snapped back.

"Why?" Jane demanded. "If Cho had kept his eyes open for a little longer – "

"Man, lay off it!" Rigsby growled.

"Okay," Eppes broke in. "I'm in charge here."

"No way," Rigsby said. "Not a chance. Our agent."

"My suspect," Eppes snapped back.

"Rigsby, just let him handle it," Cho said.

"Look, you'll still get a piece of the bastard," Eppes promised. "But this is _my_ case." Reeves cleared her throat.

"Our case," Eppes amended.

"Okay," Rigsby said, giving in. "Okay. Fine. Your case."

Eppes nodded. "All right. I need to know exactly what happened."

* * *

"Here we are."

The car came to a stop. Lisbon dug her fingernails into her palms. Not for lack of trying, she'd been unable to get out of the car.

"Mac," she said calmly. "You need to take me back."

Mac shook his head. "No. I can't. They already want me because of Jeremy. Now though... I- I can't go back. Not now."

"Mac," Lisbon said. "They'll find me anyway. Just take me back."

"No!" Mac pulled out a long knife. "I can't. As long as I have this, they can't hurt me."

Lisbon shook her head. "Mac, it doesn't work like that. They're going to find me, and they're going to put you in jail. Bring me back."

"_No!_" Mac shook his head violently. "No, shut up." Instantly, his manner changed. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it. Just, please, just... you need to be quiet. Please." He gently ran his fingertips over the side of her face.

Lisbon flinched. "Mac, why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you, Teresa," he whispered simply. "If we get away, we can be together forever."

"Mac," Lisbon said. "If you love me, you'll take me back."

"Why?" Mac asked desperately. "Don't you want this?"

Lisbon hesitated. She'd dealt with things like this before, although not in this position. She knew how unstable these guys could be.

"I... don't know, Mac," she said finally. "But I know what I _do_ want."

Mac nodded. "Okay. Just one thing."

* * *

"We ran up, and Cho was – "

Rigsby broke off as Cho's phone rang.

"Sorry," the Cho apologized. He pulled his phone out. "Hello?"

"Cho?"

He nearly dropped the phone in shock.

"_Lisbon?_"

* * *

**A/N: Another cliffie for you! :) Hope the update didn't take too long. I'll be gone on vacation for a week, but I'll try to squeeze in some writing when I can. Review!**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	10. Chapter 10: Revenge

**'Till Death Do We Part**

**A/N: Oh my God, I'm so sorry for the wait! Fortunately, there aren't many chapters left so hopefully I won't leave you hanging as long! But here, in honor of premiere week, is the new chapter! Don't hate me! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Revenge  
**  
"Hey Cho," Lisbon said casually. She glanced over at Mac. They still hadn't gotten out of the car. He was sitting in the driver's seat, looking tense. He gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white.

_"Lisbon?!"_ Cho's voice was shocked.

"Yeah, it's me," she said. "Look, I've only got a few minutes, so let's this quick."

_"Is he there with you?"_ Cho asked warily.

"Yeah." Lisbon glanced over at Mac uncertainly. He was staring straight out the windshield at the wall of the building in front of them.  
_  
"Has he hurt you?"_ Cho asked.

"No, Cho, I'm fine." Damnit, Cho, trace the damn call

_"Where are you?"_

"I don't know," Lisbon said.

She heard a struggle on the other end, and then Jane's voice came through the speaker on the phone.

_"Lisbon, we're coming for you,"_ he promised. _"We'll get you out of there."_

Lisbon couldn't help a hollow laugh. "How?"

_"We'll find you,"_ Jane promised. _"Hold on."_

"I am," she said quietly.

"Enough." Mac broke in, snatching the phone from Lisbon's hand and snapping it shut. Shooting her an apologetic look, he said, "I'm sorry, Teresa, but they can't find us."

"I know." Lisbon wondered if he noticed the frustration in her voice.

If he did, he didn't mention it, just climbed out of the car, but not before reaching for something under the seat. Lisbon couldn't help he despair that rose up inside her at the sight of the glint of moonlight on metal.

Even if he didn't hurt her, that didn't mean he wouldn't go after someone else.

She jumped as Mac opened the passenger door for her. "Come on," he said. "Get out."

Lisbon climbed out slowly, taking in her surroundings.

Well this was an interesting turn of events.

* * *

Jane snapped the phone shut and held it out for Cho to take. As the Asian man took it, Jane turned to Eppes.

"You had better find her," he growled, poking a finger into the other man's chest.

"You don't have to worry about that," Eppes said. His face remained impassive, but Jane could see the frustration burning in his eyes.

They stood there for a few moments, and then Jane backed off. As if nothing had happened, Eppes turned and started giving out orders.

"It's Rigsby, right?" he said. The CBI agent in question nodded. "Okay. See if you can get one of your people to start a trace on her phone. Megan, come on. Vests are in the trunk."

"I'm coming with you," Cho and Jane said at the same time.

Eppes looked over at them. "What?"

"I –" Jane broke off frustratedly as Cho spoke.

"I'm coming with you," Cho repeated.

"So am I," Jane put in.

"Good luck with that," Eppes said. He turned away. "Come on, Megan."

"We're coming, and you can't stop us," Cho said.

"Look." Eppes turned back to them. "You," he said, pointing at Cho, "just got pushed off the second floor of an apartment building, and you," to Jane, "aren't even an agent. Neither of you are coming. Megan –"

"Hey." Cho broke in, stepping in front of Eppes. "You can not shut us out. Lisbon is a member of our team, and a friend to all of us. We wouldn't stop at anything to save her, and especially not some hotshot FBI agent who comes in and takes over her case. We are coming with you, whether you like it or not."

Eppes just stared for a moment. "You've got a lot of guts."

Cho just stood there.

Eppes nodded. "Fine. All three of you can come. On one condition." He turned to Jane. "You stay in the car."

"Of course," Jane said smoothly.

He saw Cho and Rigsby exchange a glance, but if Eppes noticed, he didn't say anything.

"All right, you two get geared up," Eppes said to Cho and Rigsby. "Make sure you get someone on that trace first, though." He turned. "It's Jane? Here." He pulled a spare gun out of an ankle holster under the leg of his jeans.

"For protection only," he said, holding it out, his eyes dark and serious.

"I understand," Jane said.

"Do you?" Eppes narrowed his eyes. "I know how far you would go to get her back."

"You don't know anything," Jane said darkly.

"You think I haven't been there before?" Eppes said. He glanced over at Reeves, who stood a few feet away. "I know what you would do to get her back. Don't do it."

"I swear," Jane said. He took the weapon and weighed it in his hand.

Eppes nodded, then gestured to Reeves as he turned and walked away. She cast a glance back at Jane, but followed Eppes away.

Jane stared down at the gun, feeling the cool metal on his palm. There was a time he never would have touched one of these, but things were different now.

Mac Brownfield. Damnit, he had seen this bastard! The day he had asked Lisbon out to dinner! If only Jane had known this would happen, he would have...

_Would have what?_ demanded a voice in his head. _What could you have done that would have made this better?_

_Anything is better than this,_ he thought. He curled his hand around the gun, imagining Mac Brownfield's face only feet away from him, close enough that he could blow the bastard's brains out.

_"I know what you would do to get her back. Don't do it."_ Eppes words rang out in his head, accompanied by the FBI agent's serious tone.

_And leave her to die?_ Jane thought. _Fat chance._

He slipped the gun under his coat and headed for the car.

**A/N: Dun, dun, dun... What's Jane gonna do? Will they find Lisbon? Stay tuned...**

**And don't worry, chapter eleven is already in progress, so hopefully I'll have it up sooner than I did this one ^_^;**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl  
**


	11. Chapter 11: The Great Descent of Mac

**'Till Death Do Us Part**

A/N: Yay, not a long wait. Lol. The next one should be up some time next week. :)

* * *

  
Chapter 11: The Great Descent of Mac Brownfield

"There you go." Don quickly did the last strap on Megan's vest. "Ready?"

Megan nodded, a serious look in her eyes. "We've gotta get this guy, Don."

Don let out a frustrated sigh. "I know. So profile him for me."

Megan took a deep breath. "He knows we're looking for him," she said. "He'll want to go somewhere that he feels safe, somewhere he thinks we won't find him."

Don nodded. "Okay. So when we find him, how dangerous is he gonna be?"

Megan let out a long breath. "He's gonna be desperate. He'll do anything to protect himself, and Lisbon."

Don frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He's convinced himself that he loves her," Megan explained. "And vice-versa. If he thinks we're going to be a potential danger to her, he may shoot back."

"Great," Don muttered. "Exactly what we need."

Megan shot him a look. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Don said. He ran a hand over his face. "Just wishing this case was over."

"Me too," Megan agreed.

"Hey Eppes!" Don turned. That CBI agent, Rigsby, was coming back over, eyes bright.

"We've got a location!" he exclaimed when he reached them.

"Where?" Don demanded.

"Some art studio," Rigsby said, glancing down at a piece of paper in his hand. "It's called, uh..."

"Mac's Art," Don finished.

"Uh, yeah." Rigsby looked up, blinking in surprise. "How'd you –"

"Get your guys," Don ordered him. "We know the way, you guys just follow us."  
"Well, uh.." Rigsby shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" Don demanded.

"We can't find Jane," Rigsby said. "He's, uh, he's gone."

Damnit That idiot Don had told him not to run off. What had he been thinking?

Don growled to himself. "We don't have time to be looking for him right now," he said. "I have a feeling I know where we'll find him, anyway."

"You do?" Again, Rigsby looked surprised. "How?"

"We don't have time for 20 Questions!" Megan broke in. Turning to Rigsby, she said, "I don't think we need to remind you that your boss's life is on the line here."

Rigsby stiffened and sobered immediately. "I'll go get Cho. It's probably best if Jane isn't there anyway, right?"

"Yeah," Don muttered. "Now go!"

"Right, sorry!" Rigsby scampered off in the direction he had come as Don turned away and headed for the car with Megan on his heels. Once they were both in their seats, Don glanced over at Megan.

"What do you think are the chances of getting them both out alive?" Don asked as he started up the car and buckled his seatbelt.

"I'd tell you to call Charlie," Megan said solemnly. "He'd be able to tell you. But I don't think either of us really wants to know."

_Damn._ "That bad?"

Megan's eyes were dark. "I think you should get moving."

Don nodded and through the SUV into reverse, then sped out of the parking lot with the lights flashing and siren blaring loudly, tearing down the road so explosively that he was surprised the tires didn't set on fire.

Neither of them noticed the old fashioned car that pulled out behind the SUV, following them down the road easily.

* * *

  
"Come on, Teresa," Mac said gently.

"What is this place?" Lisbon asked cautiously.

"My studio," Mac said with a note of pride in his voice. "I make a better living here than I do surfing anywhere else in the world. They'll never find us here." He shot her a apologetic look and then said, "I need your handcuffs, Teresa."

Lisbon stiffened. "Why?"

"If they do find us," Mac whispered, taking her hands in his, "and your hands aren't bound in some way, then you'll get in trouble. I don't want that to happen to you."

Lisbon briefly considered kicking him where it would really hurt and running for her life, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the way Mac's eyes stared at her so pleadingly. For a moment, she could almost picture what he would be like if he wasn't a crazed stalker.

She took a deep breath, and then, before she even realized it, she was gently freeing one of her hands to pull out her cuffs and handing them to Mac.

"Thank you, Teresa," he whispered, gently closing them around her wrists. He brushed his fingers on the side of her face, and it took all of Lisbon's strength not to flinch away. Then he took her hand again.

He led her toward the door. It was dark inside, but Mac made no move to turn on the lights. Instead, he led her past the front desk and toward a door at the back of the studio. There was a sign on the door, but it was too dark in the room for Lisbon to read it. Mac pushed the door open, revealing walls covered in white sheets of paper. Some were in color, others shaded with painstaking detail.

"Look." Mac pulled down one of the papers from the wall across from the door and held it out for Lisbon to see. She swallowed hard. It was the same picture she had found in Mac's car, only drawn and shaded in black and white.

The same picture of her.

"You found the other one, didn't you?" Mac said quietly. "It should have been on the wall, but it wasn't. I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find it, so I looked in the car but it wasn't there either. You found it, didn't you?"

Lisbon swallowed. "Yeah. I did."

"What did you think?" he asked gently. His eyes were wide with anticipation.

_That you're insane!_ Lisbon thought.

"It was nice, Mac," she said.

Mac smiled. "I knew that's what you'd say."

He started to lean forward...

"Federal agents! Freeze!"

Mac froze, and Lisbon saw him swallow hard before turning around.

* * *

  
He turned, one hand feeling for the knife.

"Hands up, step away from Agent Lisbon," said the agent in the, a man of average build with short black hair. There were three of them behind him, two men and one woman.

"You shouldn't be here." Mac finally felt the cold metal. Not the knife, but it would suit his purposes.

"Mac, don't," Teresa said urgently from behind him. He ignored her, wrapping his hand around the weapon.

"He's got a gun!" He saw Teresa struggle to stand up out of the corner of his eye.

"I _know_, Teresa," Mac snapped. "Sit down."

"Mac, don't do it!"

He ignored her again, whipping out the gun to point it directly at the agent in front. The guy didn't even flinch.

"You won't shoot me." The agent lowered his gun, sliding it into its hoster.

The female agent shot him a wide-eyed look. "Don?"

The agent ignored her, staring Mac in the eyes. "Put the guy on the ground. You don't want her to see this." He motioned towards Teresa with one hand. "Let her go."

"If I do that," Mac said, "I'll never get her back again."

Suddenly, something him in the back, hard. He stumbled and fell.

And then the world seemed to change. The air seemed heavy and thick. He couldn hear.

Mac slowly raised one hand. It was coated in red. Blood. His blood.

No.

He curled his hand tighter around the gun and forced himself to his feet. With one arm wrapped around his middle, he squeezed the trigger four times. One for each agent.

Then the world started to fade. His vision blurred at the edges, and he fell again.

He watched with satisfaction as one of the bullets hit its mark.

And so, in summary, one shot was fired from one gun, four from another, and four more by the agents. Two bodies fell, instead of the intended one, and Patrick Jane rose from behind Mac Brownfield's lifeless body.  
**  
A/N: Mac voo-doo dolls for anyone who can guess who got shot. ;D**

Off to take over the world,

Crazy Girl


	12. Chapter 12: The Fall

**'Till Death Do Us Part**

A/N: Oh my God, I'm SO sorry for the wait. For an explanation, read my end A/N. Gah!

Chapter 12: The Fall

* * *

  
As four rounds erupted from Brownfield's gun, Megan instinctively squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet soaring into the suspect's chest. Next to her, Cho, Rigsby, and Don fired.

Brownfield's body fell to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, Megan saw something fall, and turned just in time to see Don fall to the floor of the studio.

_No!_

She hit the ground knees first, immediately putting pressure on the wound in his chest. In moments, her hands were soaked with blood. Then another pair of hands appeared out of nowhere. Megan looked up to see Cho across from her, speaking into a mike on the inside of his sleeve as he pushed her hands away to cover the wound with his jacket.

"Control, this is Cho. I'm in an abandoned warehouse just outside of Sacramento, heading east. Agent down; gunshot wound to the chest. Suspect is down. Repeat, suspect is down." Finishing, he pulled his hand away from his mouth to press harder on the bleeding wound in Don's chest.

"How far out are they?" Megan asked worriedly.

"They'll be here in ten minutes," Cho said. Neither his voice nor his serious expression changed as he continued to press on the wound. "There's a whole team not far from us. HQ is sending them over here."

"Ten minutes," Megan whispered. "You hear that, Don? They'll be here soon, I promise," she said, her voice choked with tears. "Don't worry. Just hang on. You'll be okay."

His eyes blinked open. "Me... gan...?"

"I'm here Don," Megan said, trying to speak past the lump in her throat. "It's okay. You're okay. The medics'll be here in ten minutes. Just hang out. You'll be okay. I promise."

Don's eyes started to drift shut. "'M tired..."

"Don!" Megan tried not to jolt him in her alarm. "Don, stay with me. You can't fall asleep now. Just stay awake, okay?"

"Wanna sleep..."

"I know Don," Megan whispered, agonized. "But you have to stay awake. Just until they have you in the ambulance, okay?"

"S'hard to breathe..." Don whispered.

"I know, Don," Megan repeated as she tried to comfort him. "Don't worry. You'll be okay. Just hang in there. You'll be okay. You're fine, you're okay. Don't worry."

Don blinked tiredly and let out a small cry as he shifted slightly. Megan looked up and gave Cho a frightened glance, who only looked back to Don and pressed harder on the wound.

"Hang in there, Eppes," Cho said, his tone still unchanging.

Don blinked. "... 'ave a brother?" he asked sleepily.

Cho frowned, his expression changing for the first time Megan had seen. "What?"

"Do you... have a brother?" Don repeated.

Cho's frown deepened. "No..."

Don's gaze drifted to Megan. "Lot like... Ian."

Megan laughed through her tears. "Yeah, Don. He is."

"Ian?" Cho questioned, looking confused. Wow, Megan thought. So his face isn't stuck in that position. Weird.

She smiled. "Sniper. He's a lot like you."

"Woulda... shot the guy... first..." Don was murmuring to himself.

Megan looked down. "What's that, Don?"

"Said... Ian woulda... shot the guy... wouldna... gotten shot..." he said, eyes closing.

"Yeah, he would've," Megan agreed. "But Edgerton would agree that you gotta stay awake. Okay Don? Just stay awake."

Don's eyes continued to drift shut, but he murmured, "M'kay..."

_Hang in there Don,_ Megan thought desperately. _Just hang in there. Please._  


* * *

  
He was gone.

Lisbon could barely believe it. And though she knew she should be feeling relieved, happy, maybe even giddy, she wasn't. She wasn't sobbing like all of the girls she had helped out of these situations before. She wasn't desperate to get out. She was just... exhausted. That was the word for it. As if all the energy had drained out of her body.

The thought seemed to remind her body just exactly how tired she was, because her knees gave out beneath her. But before she could hit the ground, a pair of hands caught her and lowered her slowly down.

"Lisbon? Teresa? Are you okay?" an anxious voice asked her. "Lisbon?"

Jane. It was Jane. What the hell was Jane doing there?

"Protecting you, silly," he said, drawing her close.

Oops. Had she said that out loud?

"I don't need protecting," Lisbon said, her mind still on autopilot.

"Really? Well you had me fooled." Jane's voice was relieved. He seemed to be glad she'd actually responded to something he'd said. "I mean, the whole stalker thing, and getting kidnapped, that was all to get us to realize you didn't need protecting?"

"Shut up."

Though Lisbon's words were directed at Jane, she wasn't looking at him. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off of Mac Brownfield's dead body, lying there on the ground. His shirt, which had been wrinkled when they'd gotten to the studio after the fight with Cho, was soaked in blood. His blood, she realized. But that didn't mean other blood hadn't been shed.

Her brain seemed to finally be rebooting. "Is everyone okay?" she asked.

Jane hesitated, and Lisbon finally tore her eyes from Mac's body. "Who?" she demanded. "Rigsby? Cho? Van Pelt?" Her eyes widened. "It wasn't you, was it? You're okay?" She pushed away from him, looking over him frantically.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "It was..."

"Who?" Lisbon insisted.

"Eppes," Jane said finally.

It took Lisbon a few moments to place the name. "Eppes? The FBI agent? The one who came by my office?"

"Yes," Jane said quietly.

"What the hell was he doing here?" Lisbon couldn't understand it. Why would Eppes be here? Did that mean Reeves had come too?

"Helping Cho and Rigsby to find you," Jane said.

"Wait, why did Cho and Rigsby let you come in here?" Lisbon was really confused now. "They know not to do that. Why– "

"Don't blame them," Jane said quickly. "I acted on my own. They had nothing to do with it."

"Eppes." Lisbon's brain didn't seem able to stay on one topic for long. "Is he okay? Where is he?"

"Agent Reeves and Cho are with him," Jane assured her. "The ambulances will be here soon."

"Ambulence_s?_ Why plural?"

"You need to get checked out too," Jane replied.

The last bits of Lisbon's energy seemed to have disappeared from her body. She sagged against Jane's body, and he held her close. "You can sleep, Teresa," he said quietly. "Go ahead."

She didn't have much of a choice. Her eyelids seemed to have grown minds of their own, she thought as she slipped into sleep.

* * *

  
In his last few moments, Mac Brownfield had a few things to say to God. And the rest of the world.

First of all, he was sorry for killing Jeremy. The kid might have had some issues, but he was still his brother. Mac had still needed to teach him a lesson, but he didn't mean to kill the kid.

Second, Catherine was right. Payback's a bitch.

Third, Teresa deserved better than a cop killer. He shouldn't have shot the FBI dude. He didn't deserve to die either.

And fourth? Megan. His little girl. Who was going to tell her that her daddy, her idol, shot and killed a man?

Yes. In the end, Mac Brownfield was sorry. In the end, Mac apologized to God and the brother he'd sent to heaven, and the women and the daughter he loved, and, yes, even to the FBI agent he didn't even know.

In the end, Mac Brownfield prayed for forgiveness.

And who knows? Maybe he got it.

And maybe he didn't.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, explanation time. So you know how I had this one all typed up and ready to go? Well, I was looking over it before I posted it, because I wrote it a long time ago. Long before Mac Brownfield's girlfriend or brother ever had a name. I had the idea for this scene before I even had the plot for the story in my head. I just liked the idea so much, Megan and Don with Cho and Rigsby at their backs, guns on some guy who's willing to do anything to protect Lisbon, and then Jane up and shoots the guy, and the guy freaks out. So anyway, I was looking over it, and I realized that Lisbon's bit in the middle was _horrible._ I mean, it was absolutely terrible.**

So I spent a few months moaning to myself and anyone who would listen about how horrible it was, and I could hardly bear to look at it. Finally, though, I realized that I need to change it, so I deleted the whole section and started from scratch. And it's a good thing I did, or else you would hate me right now. Lisbon in the original bit I had was way too OOC. She was all teary and it was just way too much for Lisbon.

So I'm sorry for the wait, and I won't make any promises for next chapter because look what happened with this one! .;

Off to take over the world,

Crazy Girl  



	13. Chapter 13: Comfort

**'Till Death Do Us Part**

**A/N: This one's filled with MeganDon fluff, and a bit of Jisbon angst. You can't miss it, trust me. ;D**

**Oh, and another visit from the Cliche Fairy. You might see her flitting about right after it says "He looked into her eyes."**

* * *

**  
Chapter 13: Comfort**

Hearing was the first sense to return to him. There was a quiet beeping in the background. Somehow, it managed to keep time with his heart, which was pumping at a normal rhythm. He wondered why that surprised him.

Smell came back second. There was a distinct antiseptic smell to the air.

_Great,_ he thought. _Hospital_. It was a sign of too many trips that he knew where he was just by the smell of the air.

Deciding it was time to return to the world of the living, he tried to open his eyes. The bright overhead lights blinded his vision for a moment, and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the light. Once the impressions had faded from the backs of his eyelids, he slowly opened one eye at a time until he could see perfectly.

_Okay, got that down._

He turned his head slowly to see a sleeping Megan slumped in an uncomfortable-looking plastic chair. One of her hands was wrapped around his. He couldn't keep from smiling.

He gently squeezed her hand, and she woke with a start, her eyes open wide. She took a moment to take in the room, and then she was sitting forward, hands on his arm.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," she said quietly.

"Hey." His mouth and throat were so dry that it was the only word he could get out.

"Oh, here." Megan hurried over to a sink in the corner and filled a small paper cup with water. She held it to his lips, seeming to know that he didn't have enough strength to hold it himself just yet.

"Thanks," he said when he was done. He let his head fall back on the pillows. "Did we get him? Brownfield?"

"Yeah." Megan's face darkened. "He's dead."

Don blinked in surprise. "Dead?" he echoed. "Who shot him?"

"Our good friend, Mr. Patrick Jane," Megan said dryly.

Of course. Despite Don's warning, the idiot had shot Brownfield anyway. Don closed his eyes. He was unable to stop himself from flashing back to Crystal Hoyle, driving her car full of grenades right t their barricade, himself, pulling the trigger, watching the explosion…

"Don?" Megan's worried voice and her hands tightening on his arm brought Don back to the present. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Don tried to steady his voice. "I told him not to."

Megan was silent for a moment. "It's not your fault, Don."

"I should have gone to find him before we left."

"Lisbon might have ended up dead if you had," Megan pointed out.

"We got her out then?" Don asked.

"Yeah. Got her statement and everything."

Statement? Already? "How long was I out," Don asked, bewildered.

"Two days," Megan admitted.

Two days?! "Charlie? My dad?" he asked anxiously.

"I already told them," Megan assured him.

"I should have been the one to tell them," Don said.

"You were unconscious in case you forgot," Megan said dryly. "Besides, they were starting to get curious when someone mentioned that the case was closed and we hadn't gotten back yet."

"Granger," Don groaned. "Doesn't he ever think before he says things?"

"He didn't know right then, either," Megan admitted. "The only people who knew were the people who were there."

"Is everyone else okay?" Don asked. "No one got hurt?"

"No," Megan said quietly. "Everyone's fine. Everyone but you." She was silent for a moment. "I thought you were going to die."

Don was stunned into silence. "W-What?"

"You were so pale," Megan whispered, "and there was blood everywhere." She looked down at her hands.

"Megan?" Don tried to get her attention, but she didn't seem to hear him.

"You couldn't stay awake, and Cho was trying to stop the bleeding, and you kept talking about Ian, and I was trying so hard not to cry, but I – "

"Megan!" Don put a hand to her face. "Megan. I'm okay. I'm right here. I'm fine."

She looked up. "You could've _died_, Don. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Well, it obviously bothers _you_," Don said. "Megan, what's wrong? You okay?"

She took a deep breath. "Yeah. Fine now. Sorry."

"Megan..." He looked into her eyes. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Don." She looked up, meeting his gaze.

They both seemed to freeze. The hospital seemed to go silent, and the antiseptic smell faded from the air. Even the sound of the heart monitor seemed to stop.

Don leaned forward slowly...

Their lips met only for a few moments, but it felt like hours.

When they pulled away, Don couldn't tear his eyes from her face. He swallowed hard.

"That..." Megan seemed to be at a loss for words. "I... I don't even know."

Don laughed weakly. "Me neither, Meg."

* * *

"You're sure you're alright?" Lisbon questioned Cho. "You fell three stories."

"I'm fine, Boss," Cho promised. "Don't worry. You might want to go make sure Jane's hovering doesn't scare away Rigsby and Van Pelt." He nodded over towards where Jane was standing by Rigsby's desk, obviously torn between going to his couch and staying where he was.

Lisbon glanced over at him. "I think it's kind of sweet," she admitted. Annoying, but sweet. Jane had hardly left her side since she had left the studio. In fact, the only time when he had was when the paramedics denied him entrance to the ambulance. It had been crammed enough with Reeves in there already.

The memory of the ambulance ride brought Lisbon shivers. Eppes had nearly died on the way to the hospital. If they'd arrived ten minutes later, he might have.

Reeves had been a mess, attempting to keep herself under control enough to tell one of the paramedics Eppes's name.

"It's a good thing the guy's dead," one of the EMT's had muttered later. "Or else I'd be afraid she'd go after him."

And that was the other thing that sent chills down Lisbon's spine. Mac, dead, lying on the hard floor of the studio. She knew it was a good thing that he was dead, gone from her life, never to terrorize her again, but she couldn't help thinking that it was her own damn fault. All of it. Mac wouldn't have died, Eppes wouldn't have gotten shot, and Cho wouldn't have fallen three stories.

And Jane wouldn't have the murder of a man on his conscience, not that Lisbon thought it was troubling him too much.

"Lisbon?" A worried voice brought her out of her thoughts.

Speak of the devil...

Lisbon looked up to see Jane hovering over her protectively. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine," she promised. "Just lost in thought."

Jane nodded uncertainly. He shot a glance over Lisbon's shoulder, and she heard Cho leave, his footsteps fading quickly.

"Lisbon, is there something wrong?" Jane asked quietly. "Something happened back at the studio. You were off then, too. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Jane," Lisbon said. "I'm fine."

"It's not your fault, you know," Jane said. Of course, reading her mind again. "None of it is."

Lisbon couldn't help a snort. "If I had been a little smarter to begin with, none of this would have happened."

"As much as I wish that it didn't," Jane said, "the fact is that if it didn't, Brownfield never would have been gotten rid of. He would have found some other poor girl, or he would have done whatever he could to get you."

"His name was Mac," Lisbon snapped irritably. "And he didn't need to be 'gotten rid of!'"

"Lisbon, that man was a monster," Jane said seriously. "He would have killed you to keep us away from you. He would have done anything."

"He wouldn't have done that," Lisbon said. "You didn't know him."

"Neither did you!" Jane shot back. "Lisbon, you knew him for all of what, two days?"

"He had a daughter, Jane!" Lisbon snapped. "He would never have hurt her like that!"

Jane stared at her. "A... A daughter?" he stammered. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I didn't know you cared," Lisbon sneered. "I thought he just needed to be 'gotten rid of.'"

"Lisbon, I..." Jane's eyes were pained and dark. "Lisbon, if I had known..."

"What, Jane?" Lisbon looked up at him angrily. "If you had known, what?"

"I would never have done that to him," Jane whispered. "A daughter..."

Suddenly, Lisbon made the connection. Jane, and his daughter, Red John separating them forever. And now it was reversed. Jane had ripped apart father and daughter, Mac and Megan. The girl would never see her father again.

"Oh, Jane," she whispered. "I- I'm sorry."

"I never should have touched him, Lisbon," he whispered. "You have nothing to be apologizing about. It's me who should be sorry."

"You didn't know..." Lisbon tried.

"I should have," Jane whispered. "I should have – "

"Jane, stop, it's not your fault," Lisbon said, the roles suddenly reversing.

"But I –"

She shut him up, pressing her lips to his.

* * *

**A/N: Well, _finally!_ Thought she'd never take a hint. ;D**

**So anyway, only the epilogue left! :( **

**Review!**

**Off to take over the world,**

**Crazy Girl**


	14. Epilogue: Savior

**'Till Death Do We Part**

A/N: Sorry to all of you who love this story, but finally It's finally done *whew* This thing, while not that long, has turned into a monster. It's killing me. Finally It's done

Sorry this one is so short, but I just had to get it over with.

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Epilogue: Savior

"How're you feeling?" Cho asked.

Don winced. "Like I got shot."

Megan snorted, and the rest of the group laughed.

Rigsby stood up. "Who's hungry?"

"Other than you?" Van Pelt rolled her eyes.

"Me," Don said. "They've got me on that hospital crap. I can't stand it."

"Cheese burger good?" Rigsby asked.

Don's eyes lit up. "Yes, please "

"I'll come with you," Cho said, standing up. Van Pelt nodded and followed Cho and Rigsby out, on their way to the elevators that would take them to the cafeteria.

The room wasn't empty though. Lisbon was standing opposite Megan, on Don's left. Jane stood only a few feet away, at the end of the bed.

Lisbon shook her head. "The next time I hear Rigsby ask if anyone's hungry, I swear to God, I'll shoot someone."

"I thought that was Mr. Jane's job," Don said dryly, shooting the consultant a look.

Jane shrugged. "Someone had to do it."

Lisbon frowned at that, but didn't comment. She turned back to the bed. "Thank you," she said suddenly. "Both of you," she added, shooting Megan a glance. "For getting me out of there. You got shot for me."

"Would've done it for anyone," Don said. "So don't worry, you're not special."

Lisbon smiled. "Agent Eppes..."

Don held up a hand. "It's Don."

Lisbon nodded. "Don. I should have listened to you two before all this happened. Maybe we could have avoided the problem altogether."

"I doubt it," Megan interjected. "Brownfield wasn't going to stop until he had what he wanted: you. He was prepared to kill all of us to get to you. It wouldn't have mattered if we put you under protection. He would have killed the agents we had on you, and then he would have taken you."

Don nodded. "There was nothing any of us could have done. Just be thankful we didn't end up with more bodies."

Lisbon let out a slow breath. "You're right."

"Of course I am." Don settled back into the bed and yawned suddenly, the meds kicking in.

"We should go," Lisbon said. Jane nodded and guided her towards the door.

"'Bye," Lisbon said over her shoulder.

"'Bye," Don and Megan echoed.

Lisbon walked out, but Jane stopped, and turned back to face Don and Megan.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Don smiled. "Anytime."

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**A/N: That's the end. Again, sorry it's short, but that's the way it (and I) wanted it to be.**

Off to take over the world,

Crazy Girl

t.h.e e.n.d


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